Ten Tips on Delegating Work

One way to manage your time more effectively is to delegate work to others on your staff or to contract workers you hire for specific projects. How often I hear such comments as, "It takes too much time to delegate." "If I delegate the work there is no guarantee that the work will be done properly. It is just easier to do it myself." "No one can do this as well as I can." If others who have a lower hourly rate can do the work while you focus on the work only you can do, your cash flow will be better because you can do more of the work that only you can do.

1. Be specific about what you want done. Be clear as to the purpose of the delegated work and what kind of results you expect. Take the time to answer the person's questions. This takes less time than redoing work.

2. Set a realistic deadline for the delegated work and make sure that this is workable for the person to whom you are delegating the work.

3. Give the person the information he/she will need and point them toward other resources he/she may use to complete the work

4. Be available for questions and require periodic progress reports.

5. If you are delegating because you have so much to do that you do not have time to give explicit instructions, be sure to delegate to a member of your team or a contract worker who can do the work with a minimum of direction. Perhaps they have done this job before or they have had experience with similar projects.

6. Once you delegate to someone who is well equipped to handle the task, allow the person space to be imaginative in his/her approach and to take the initiative to do something differently or do it in a bigger way (as long as you get the results you are looking for!).

7. If you want to use the delegation of the task (problem) as a way to develop a member of your staff or a contract worker, leave time in your schedule to provide enough detail as to how to go about getting the task done as is necessary for that particular person. (Developing a team member means eventually you will not have to give as much direction.)

8. Have a system to report back to you so that you get feedback without being constantly interrupted during your day. Have a list of critical dates so that you get the feedback regularly.

9. Keep a log of all the projects you delegate and their status. Update the log as you get feedback.

10. Give credit and praise for the successful completion of the task or solution of the problem.

Alvah Parker is a Business and Career Coach as well as publisher of Parker's Points, an email tip list and Road to Success, an ezine. Parker's Value Program? enables her clients to find their own way to work that is more fulfilling and profitable. Her clients are attorneys, business owners, sole practioners, and people in transition. Alvah is found on the web at http://www.asparker.com. She may also be reached at 781-598-0388.